


all was well

by hopecanbeyoursword



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gen, Percy Jackson-Centric, Post-The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus), Pre-The Trials of Apollo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:15:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24194968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopecanbeyoursword/pseuds/hopecanbeyoursword
Summary: Percy contemplates his life and where he, and his friends, are at post Gaea.
Relationships: Percy Jackson & his friends
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	all was well

Percy sighed as he looked out over the city skyline.

He was sitting on the fire escape outside his bedroom window. The sun was setting, casting the sky in shades of red and orange. A light breeze blew through his hair, pushing a loose strand into his face.

Feeling too content piled on top of a bunch of pillows, Percy left it. His eyes fluttered slightly, sleep threatening to overwhelm him.

It was the end of September, so as the seasons were changing, the air cooled. It was the perfect temperature for Percy to spend hours out on the fire escape, overlooking the city. Sometimes he would work on his homework, trying to catch up on everything he missed. Other times, he would fall asleep, the cacophony of New York so familiar, and comforting after months without it, that it didn’t hinder his ability to sleep. And when he started to feel a little lonely, he would Iris Message one of his friends, and they would talk for hours. His mom would check up on him every once in a while, press a kiss to his forehead, and deliver a plate of blue chocolate chip cookies. She never pushed him to talk if he didn’t want to, and stayed with him when she could tell the memories of the wars trying to drown him. It was nice, just the two of them.

For the first time in years, Percy felt like he could rest. Six prophecies (though _technically_ they hadn’t been all his to go on), and five years later, he was getting a break. His friends were alive and okay. Frank, Reyna, and Hazel were back in New Rome, helping rebuild the city, and taking much needed time for themselves. Frank was doing a good job as the newest praetor, and Reyna was thankful she didn’t have to do the work anymore. Hazel would force them to take breaks, and convinced Reyna to take a day or two off. Over eight months of running the city had taken its toll on her.

Piper, Leo, and Will were year rounders at Camp Half-Blood. Will usually spent time at home during the year, but he wanted to help out camp, as there was a lot to do post-war. Piper spent time training, wanting to prove she was more than just her charmspeak. She was leading her cabin, in a way Percy knew would make Silena proud. Leo… he needed time to figure things out after he returned, alive when they thought he was dead. He would disappear after the camp fire for an hour, spending time talking with Hestia.

Nico and Jason jumped from place to place, more than one place now feeling like home. Nico visited both of his sisters— he’d shadow travel to New Rome and spend a day with Hazel, sometimes playing a game of Mythomagic with Frank. It was hard, at first. But now, Nico enjoyed playing. It was bittersweet, but he tried to remember the good memories. He held tightly to the Hades figurine Bianca had given to him. He hadn’t wanted to look at it when Percy first gave it to him, Bianca’s loss too fresh. Now, it kept him connected to her. He also felt connected to her when he visited the little monument he made for her at the edge of the forest. He would look at the picture of her, and tell her about his life. It helped, since her spirit had moved on.

Jason couldn’t decide on one camp. One was his childhood. One was something he had been searching for. Both were home. When in New York, he would train the younger kids, or stop by the Jackson-Blofis apartment so he and Percy could ride around on Blackjack and Tempest, work through the things they hadn’t talked about. Percy would tell his cousin stories about Thalia, having gotten to spend more time with her than her own brother. Jason told him about Camp Jupiter. When the blond was in California, he helped rebuild the city, and reconnected with his Roman friends. He and Reyna were rebuilding their friendship. In that respect, they were Percy and Annabeth’s counterparts: best friends who had been through quests, loss, and triumphs together.

Thalia was working on building up the ranks of the Hunters, but she stopped by to visit. She made a point to spend time with all of those she considered friends, but Jason, Annabeth, Percy, and Grover, usually ended up with a little more time with her.

Grover was doing his Lord of the Wild business, but he and Percy made sure to IM at least once a week, and meet up twice a month. It had been months since they had last seen each other, and there was a lot to catch up on. Percy had missed his best friend.

Rachel was still at the boarding school she didn’t like, but she snuck out on weekends to join Percy on the fire escape, or to hang out in her cave at camp. There had been no new prophecies, and the two could forget the demigod world for a little.

Annabeth was still going to school in New York, but went home to California over breaks. Her relationship with her family was getting better. Bridges had been mended. But she had lived away from them long enough that she was used to be independent. She needed a space of her own. She had a small apartment, a gift to a Hero of Olympus. However, she stopped by to visit Percy, and Sally, and Paul, and tiny Estelle, when she could. She was family.

On August 18th, all those who had fought in the war against Kronos to protect New York came together. They traveled to camp, taking a moment to stand at the top of the hill next to Thalia’s tree. Silently, the slowly made their way down to the campfire, where the rest of the Greek demigods were. Percy took his spot between Annabeth and Grover, Thalia on Annabeth’s other side, and Rachel on Grover’s other side. The four who had been on Olympus, and the one who had opened Percy’s eyes to the truth. _You are not the hero_.

The flames were bleak, as campers shared stories on the siblings they had lost. For a few hours, it was a day to remember what they had lost. Even those who hadn’t been there, like Piper and Leo, could feel the loss hanging heavily in the air.

Slowly, the stories turned into tentative jokes, which turned into celebrating all they still had. Annabeth kissed Percy on the cheek, before ducking away with Grover. A couple minutes later, they came back, carrying a large, blue cake with them.

And even though Percy couldn’t help associating his birthday with the war, he smiled. He had friends he loved, who loved him. Plus, the best girlfriend he could ask for.

That day was a memory Percy held tightly, that he reminisced on a lot when he sat on the fire escape, the only thing out there besides him and his pillows being the planter box with moonlace planted in it. It reminded Percy of all the what-ifs, of how his life could be different. But it also reminded him that the choices he made, turning down immortality, his decision back on Ogygia, and on every other quest, led him to where he was now.

With a normal school year in front of him, free of quests and loss, he felt calm. There was still a lot of recovery left. Percy knew the nightmares wouldn’t go away. The guilt that was heavy on his shoulders (Silena, and Beckendorf, and Luke, and Michael, and Bianca, and Zoe, and _everyone else_ ) would never leave, but maybe it would get easier. He finally, finally, had time to heal.

Though his friends were scattered across the country, they were all alive. It was more than Percy could’ve hoped for after two wars. The two camps were being rebuilt. A bunch of teenagers who had seen horrors of war, but who also gained a new family, were healing. He kept in contact with all of them, and he and Mrs. O’Leary or Blackjack, would visit them when they could. He had his family to help him. A step-dad who was kind and understanding. A baby sister who was adorable and made him smile. And a mom who held him when he needed it.

All was well.

**Author's Note:**

> Percy Jackson was my first great love, my first fandom, etc. So in honor of the last episode of Chris McCarrell Reads TLT, and in honor of the PJO show being announced, I wanted to write a little something.


End file.
